social influence

• What is conformity?

  A change in behavior due to pressure
• What was the procedure of Asch's conformity experiment?

  • 123 male American students
  • Groups of 7-9 with confederates
  • Presented with 4 lines: 3 comparison, 1 standard
  • Real ppt answered last or second to last
  • Confederates gave incorrect answers in 12/18 trials
• What percentage of participants conformed in Asch's study?

  36.8%
• What percentage of participants never conformed in Asch's study?

  25%
• What percentage of participants conformed at least once in Asch's study?

  75%
• What was the control trial result in Asch's study?

  Only 1% of responses were incorrect
• What factors affect the level of conformity?

  1. Group size
  2. Unanimity
  3. Task difficulty
• How does group size affect conformity?

  More likely to conform in larger groups
• What was the peak conformity rate in Asch's study regarding group size?

  When confederates were more than 3
• How does unanimity affect conformity?

  Conformity decreases with a dissenter present
• What happens to conformity when the task is difficult?

  Conformity increases when the task is difficult
• What are the strengths of Asch's study?

  • High internal validity
  • Strict control over variables
  • Supports normative social influence
  • Easy to replicate
• What are the weaknesses of Asch's study?

  • Lacks ecological validity
  • Lacks population validity
  • Ethical issues (deception, harm)
• What are the three types of conformity according to Kelman?

  Compliance, identification, internalisation
• What is compliance in terms of conformity?

  Public agreement but private disagreement
• What is identification in terms of conformity?

  Temporary change in behavior in a group
• What is internalisation in terms of conformity?

  Permanently adopting group beliefs and behaviors
• What is informational social influence (ISI)?

  Conforming to be right in uncertain situations
• What is normative social influence (NSI)?

  Conforming to be liked and accepted
• What are the strengths of ISI and NSI explanations?

  • ISI support: Lucas et al study
  • NSI support: Asch's interviews
• What are the weaknesses of ISI and NSI explanations?

  • Individual differences in NSI and ISI
  • Limited explanation of obedience
• What is the Stanford prison experiment about?

  • Study on social roles and conformity
  • Participants assigned as guards or prisoners
  • Behavior affected by assigned roles
• What was the outcome of the Stanford prison experiment?

  Experiment stopped after 6 days
• What are the strengths of the Stanford prison experiment?

  • Controlled key variables
  • Random assignment of roles
• What are the weaknesses of the Stanford prison experiment?

  • Lack of realism
  • Ethical issues (deception, harm)
• What is obedience?

  Following a direct order from authority
• What was Milgram's baseline study about?

  • Study on obedience to authority
  • Participants as teachers giving shocks
  • Rigged draw for roles
• What percentage of participants continued to the highest shock level in Milgram's study?

  65%
• What are the strengths of Milgram's study?

  • Good external validity
  • Supporting research from reality TV
• What are the weaknesses of Milgram's study?

  • Low internal validity
  • Ethical issues (deception, harm)
• What are the situational variables affecting obedience?

  1. Proximity
  2. Location
  3. Uniform
• How does proximity affect obedience?

  Closer authority increases obedience rates
• How does location affect obedience?

  Obedience decreases in rundown locations
• How does uniform affect obedience?

  Authority figures in uniform increase obedience
• What are the strengths of situational variables in obedience studies?

  • Research support (Bickman study)
  • Cross-cultural replications
  • Control of variables
• What are the weaknesses of situational variables in obedience studies?

  • Lack of internal validity
  • Obedience alibi criticism
• What is the agentic state in obedience?

  • Feeling no personal responsibility
  • Acting for an authority figure
• What is legitimacy of authority?

  • Perceived authority leads to obedience
  • Justified by position of power
• What are the strengths of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority explanations?

  • Research support (Blass and Schmitt)
  • Explains cultural differences
  • Real-life applications
• What are the weaknesses of the agentic state and legitimacy of authority explanations?

  • Limited explanation of obedience
  • Cannot explain all disobedience